Upcoming PCAT Blueprint Changes
for 2016-2017: How to Help
Students Prepare
Webinar for Pre-Health Advisors
October 29, 2015
Presenters
Renee M. DeHart, Pharm.D.,
BCPS, FCCP
Associate Dean of Student Affairs
McWhorter School of Pharmacy
Samford University
Alexandria Aljets, MA
Oregon State University
NAAHP Pharmacy Liaison
Don Meagher, EdD
Senior Research Director
Pearson
Rachel Wegner, MA
Test Development Manager
Pearson
Natividad Ybarra III, PhD
Test Development Manager
Pearson
Overview
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
PCAT Performance & Demographic Data
PCAT Blueprint Changes & Rationale
Passage-based Questions
Resources for Preparing for the PCAT
Future Directions in Pharmacy Admissions
Testing: WPI and SJT
The PCAT & Pharmacy Admissions
• Used to differentiate between colleges
attended and the perceived rigor of the
coursework at different colleges
• Generally the composite percentile score is
used in admissions review
– Some will look at individual subtests
• How many schools use it? 110 out of 134
– California pharmacy schools will likely be adding a
PCAT requirement in the next few years
PCAT Basics
2015-2016 Testing Dates:
Six Sub-Sections:
• July 9-10, 2015
• September 16-18, 2015
• January 5-6, 2016
•
•
•
•
•
•
Registration Opened September 18th
Scoring:
Registration Opened March 2nd
• October 26-30, 2015
• November 2-6, 2015
Currently
Writing
Verbal Ability
Biology
Chemistry
Reading Comprehension
Quantitative Ability
• Multiple choice sub-sections
scored on scale of 200–600
• Percentile Ranks (1–99) based on
2011 norm groups
• Writing scored on 6-point scale
Performance & Demographic Data
Performance & Demographic Data
Performance & Demographic Data
(2014-2015)
Performance & Demographic Data
(2014-2015)
Performance & Demographic Data
(2014-2015)
Performance & Demographic Data
(2014-2015)
Performance & Demographic Data
(2014-2015)
Performance & Demographic Data
(2014-2015)
Lessons Learned from Data
• More education resulted in better scores,
especially in science sections
• Some students at a disadvantage on PCAT may
benefit from additional support or preparation
– URM students
– First-generation college students
– Non-native English speakers
How is the PCAT Changing?
• Greater critical thinking and reasoning
• Items based on more extensive reading
– Reading passages in Biological and Chemical processes
sections, with 4 questions per passage
– Stem text set-up in Quantitative Reasoning section
• Increased humanities and social science content in Critical
Reading Section
• Decreased test duration
– Goal is approximately 3.5 hours not including breaks
Why is the PCAT changing?
• Measure critical thinking and reasoning skills
important for success as a pharmacist
• Encourage students to delve deeper into their
education
– Memorizing facts is not enough!
• Changing nature of the pharmacy profession
– Need for problem-solvers
PCAT Test Blueprint for 2014–15 & 2015–16: Field-Testing New Item Types
PCAT Subtest
Part 1: Writing
Part 2: Verbal Ability
Analogies
Sentence Completion
Part 3: Biology
General Biology
Microbiology
Anatomy & Physiology
Part 4: Chemistry
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Basic Biochemistry
Processes
Part 5: Reading
Comprehension
Comprehension
Analysis
Evaluation
Part 6: Quantitative Ability
Basic Math
Algebra
Probability & Statistics
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Total Test
Number of
Number of
Operational
Experimental Items /
Items
Passages
1 Prompt (operational)
40
0
25
0
15
0
8 / 2 (experiment,
scenario, or other
40
context in passage)
20–22
4
7–8
1–2
12–13
2–3
8 / 2 (experiment,
scenario, or other
40
context in passage)
20–22
5–6
12–13
2–3
7–8
Rest Break
40 / 5 passages
12–13
15
12–13
40
5–6
7–8
7–8
9–10
9–10
200 multiplechoice items + 1
writing prompt
Time Allowed
30 min.
25 min.
35 min.
35 min.
1–2
15 min.
8 / 1 (humanities or
social sciences content)
2–3
3–4
2–3
8 (problem or scenario
stated in stem text)
1–2
1–2
1–2
1–2
1
32 multiple-choice
items
50 min.
45 min.
220 min. = 3
hrs. 40 min. +
Rest Break
Changes to be Implemented
in 2016-2017
• Elimination of Verbal Ability
• Biological and Chemical Processes:
– 30% of items with passages (4 items per passage)
• Critical Reading
– 40% of items with Humanities or Social Science passages
• Quantitative Reasoning
– Greater focus on basic math and algebra, less on calculus
and pre-calculus
– 50% of items with stem text set-up
• Use of calculators and periodic table
PCAT Test Blueprint for 2016-2017: Introducing New Operational Items
Operational Items /
Passages
PCAT Subtest
Part 1: Writing
Experimental
Items / Passages
1 Prompt (operational)
Part 2: Biological Processes
(10–20% of items with passages)
General Biology
Microbiology
30 min.
40 Items / 4–5
Passages
8 Items / 2
Passages
20–22
4
7–8
1–2
12–13
2–3
40 Items / 4–5
Passages
8 Items / 2
Passages
General Chemistry
20–22
5–6
Organic Chemistry
12–13
2–3
7–8
1–2
Anatomy & Physiology
Part 3: Chemical Processes
(10–20% of items with passages)
Basic Biochemistry Processes
Rest Break
Part 4: Critical Reading
(20–40% of items with humanities or social
science passages)
Comprehension
Analysis
Evaluation
Part 5: Quantitative Reasoning
(20–40% of items with stem text set-up)
40 min.
40 min.
15 min.
40 Items / 5
Passages
8 Items / 1
Passage
50 min.
12–13
2–3
15
3–4
12–13
2–3
40
8
Basic Math
9–10
1–2
Algebra
9–10
1–2
Probability & Statistics
7–8
1–2
Pre-Calculus
7–8
1–2
Calculus
5–6
1
160 multiple-choice
items + 1 writing
prompt
32 multiplechoice items
Total Test
Time Allowed
45 min.
205 min. = 3 hrs.
25 min. + Rest
Break
About Passage-Based Questions
• Passages must be original content
• Science subtest passages should summarize experiments or
published research
• For Biological Processes, Chemical Processes, and Critical Reading
subtests items, each item must accompany a passage and must
require information provided in the accompanying passage in
order to answer it
• Each item associated with a passage must also require previouslyacquired content knowledge beyond the information contained in
the accompanying passage in order for the examinee to respond to
the item.
• Each item associated with a passage must be able to be answered
independently of the other items accompanying the same passage,
so that the answer to one item does not depend on the content of
another item.
Sample Passage-Based Questions
Consider:
1. What background knowledge or skills would
students need to answer this question?
2. What challenges might students encounter when
answering this question on a timed exam?
Sample Passage-Based Questions
Sample Passage-Based Questions
Bacteria Strains
During the early part of the 20th century, independent investigations provided insight into the
mechanisms of DNA transfer and bacterial transformation by DNA uptake that are widely
understood today. In one such investigation following the deadly flu epidemic of 1918, a
researcher studied two strains of Streptococcus pneumonia, one with a smooth appearance and
the other with a rough appearance. The smooth outer coating on the first strain conferred good
protection against an immune response by the infected host, while the rough strain was more
susceptible to an immune response. The purpose of this study was to determine whether material
in dead bacterial could transform living bacterial cells. The results of this work are shown in
Table 1.
Table 1: Experimental Methods and Results
Research Method
Results
Research Method
Results
1. Inject living virulent S strain cells into
Mouse dies (living S strain cells found in heart)
1. Inject living virulent S strain cells into
Mouse dies (living S strain cells
mouse
mouse
found in heart)
2. Inject
Inject living
living nonvirulent
RR
strain
bacterial
cells found
in
2.
nonvirulent
strain bacteriaMouse healthy
Mouse (no
healthy
(no bacterial
cells
bacteria
into mouse
heart) found in heart)
into mouse
3.
Kill
virulent
S
strain
cells
by
heating
and
bacterial
cells found
in
3. Kill virulent S strain cells by heating andMouse healthy
Mouse (no
healthy
(no bacterial
cells
then
inject
intointo
mouse
heart) found in heart)
then
inject
mouse
4. Inject
Inject mixture
mixture of
(living
strain cells
foundcells
in heart
4.
ofdead
deadSSstrain
straincells
cells withMouse dies
Mouse
diesS(living
S strain
living
strainbacteria
bacteriainto
into
found in heart
with
livingnonvirulent
nonvirulent R strain
mouse
mouse
Based on these finding, the researcher concluded that a chemical substance from one cell had
indeed transformed another cell, in this case into the more virulent form. However, the most that
the researcher was able to identify about the chemical nature of this transformation was that it
had survived the application of heat.
Sample Passage-Based Questions
What would have happened if the R strain shown in Table 1 of the passage had been
killed along with the S strain prior to injection?
A. Since a live bacterial host for the DNA is needed, the mouse would have survived.
B. The mouse would have died when the DNA that encoded virulence transformed its
cells.
C. A high antigen titer would trigger a successful immune response in the mouse.
D. The mouse would have died because the peptides formed prior to heating would still
be present.
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: As described in Research Method 4 shown in Table 1, a mixture of dead S
strain and living nonvirulent R strain bacteria was injected into a live mouse, with living
S strain then found in the heart of the animal after it subsequently died. The mouse died
because the R bacteria were transformed by DNA from the dead S strain into a virulent S
bacteria. However, if the R strain had been killed prior to injection along with the S
strain, the mouse would have survived, since the transformation could not have taken
place. The type of transformation described in option B occurs in prokaryotes, not
eukaryotes such as mice. Option C is incorrect because if the bacteria were all dead, they
could not multiply, and the immune response would be muted. If option D were true, the
virulent S strain would have killed the mouse even after heating, which was not the case
as shown for the results of Research Method 3 in Table 1.
PCAT Preparation from Pearson
• Online, Timed Practice Tests
– Multiple-choice items for all subtests with
explanations for each correct answer
– Three tests available
• Writing Practice Tests
– Four tests available
• Study Guide
– Downloadable 200-page document with sample
questions
Online Practice Test Score Report
Writing Practice Test Score Report
Online Practice Test (2014-2015)
Study Guide 2014-2015
PCAT Prep Updates
• Kaplan-PCAT Prep Program
– http://www.kaptest.com/pcat/kaplan-pcatprep/kaplan-aacp-partnership
– AACP endorses Kaplan as the Official Provider of
PCAT® Prep.
– Kaplan and AACP have partnered to make PCAT
prep more accessible for students everywhere
– Starting line
– Scholarships
Admission Testing Future Directions
Workplace
Personality
Inventory
Situational
Judgment
Tests
Workplace Personality Inventory
Achievement/Effort
Initiative
Persistence
Independence
Analytical Thinking
Innovation
Achievement
Orientation
Practical
Intelligence
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Rule Following
Interpersonal
Orientation
Domains
Conscientiousness
32
Social
Influence
Self
Adjustment
Work Style Scales
Concern for Others
Cooperation
Social Orientation
Leadership Orientation
Self-Control
Stress Tolerance
Adaptability/Flexibility
Workplace Personality Inventory
•
Work Personality Inventory (WPI) launched in 2007
•
Measurement aims:
– Work relevant
– Easy to interpret
– Reliable, valid and fair
– Resistant to faking
– Reasonably short
•
16 Work Styles linked directly to O*Net
33
WPI Next Steps
•
•
Project 1 – Student Pharmacists:
•
To identify the Work Styles that distinguish top student
performers from the rest
•
To collect a sample of students for norm group
(comparison group) purposes
Project 2 - Pharmacists:
•
To identify the Work Styles most prevalent in samples of
pharmacists
•
To collect a sample of pharmacists for norm group
(comparison group) purposes
Situational Judgement Tests
•
What is a Situational Judgement Test (SJT)?
•
Used to assess a wide range of behaviors, skills and
competency areas
•
Typically involve presentation of hypothetical
situations or scenarios following which a person is
asked to rate responses or actions related to dealing
with the situation
•
AACP will likely partner with other health education
associations in the development of an SJT
SJT Example Question
SJT Example Question
Situational Judgment Tests
•
Content is typically derived from a job analysis and is designed
to reflect a specific role or work based context.
•
Sometimes referred to as ‘low fidelity work simulations’
•
SJTs have been around since the 1920s (Judgment in Social
Situations, Moss, 1926) although more recently they have
gained popularity in selection.
•
Multifaceted in nature, often assessing a combination of
cognitive and behavioral domains
•
SJTs reflect the notion that a person’s performance at work is
the result of cognitive individual differences, job knowledge
and personality (Motowidlo, Hansen & Crafts, 1997)
Benefits of SJTs
•
Assess a mixture of cognitive and style attributes (Motowildo,
Diesch, & Jackson, 2003)
•
Face validity – Can be perceived by candidates as more realistic
than some traditional assessment methods (Lievens, Peeters &
Schollaert, 2008) “ a day in the life of…”
•
High relevance to role
•
Consistent , objective and fair
•
Linked to job performance (McDaniel et al., 2001;McDaniel et al.,
2007)
•
Reduced adverse impact can lead to improved diversity (Nguyen,
McDaniel & Whetzel, 2005)
•
Rigorous design allows them to stand up to challenge